Cross-over switch



Aug. 19, 1958 Filed Aug. 30, 1957 5. LE FIELL CROSS-OVER swrrcn 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Ofiice 2,847,944 Patented Aug. 19, 1958 i 2,847,944CROSS-OVER SWITCH Sidney Le Fiell, San Francisco, Calif. ApplicationAugust 30, 1957, Serial No. 681,317 1 Claim. (Cl. 104-100) Thisinvention relates to improvements in switches and has particularreference to overhead switches such as are used on conveyor systems,particularly in warehouses, cold storage plants, slaughter houses, andthe like.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an automatic switchwhereby a carrier proceeding along the track will enter and operate aswitch mechanism permitting the carrier to continue on its way across atrack positioned at substantially right angles thereto.

Another object is to provide a mechanism wherein it is impossible forthe carrier to run off of the end of the track at a point ofintersection.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numbers are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

Fig. l is a top plan view of my cross-over switch;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, portions thereof being broken away andshowing the cross over, as for instance from front to rear of thedrawing; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the cross-over switch as arranged fortravel from one side of the drawing to the other.

In slaughter houses, cold storage plants and the like, it is commonpractice to hang sides of beef or other meat products from bookssuspended from flanged wheels which travel along overhead trackssuspended from the ceiling.

It is often necessary to provide for a cross-over arrangement whereintwo tracks on the same level pass each other and at substantially rightangles to each other. Heretofore it has been the custom to employpivoted switches which are manually operated to accommodate for thetravel in whatever direction is desired. It has often occurred thatthrough negligence or the wrong setting of the switch that the rollerswould roll off the end of the track or would jam and bend portionsthereof so that major repairs had to be made.

Applicant has therefore devised a cross-over arrangement wherein suchdifliculties are avoided. In the accompanying drawings, wherein for thepurpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention,the numerals 5 and 6 designate track sections of the switch unittraveling in one direction, and the numerals 7 and 8 designate similartrack sections of the switch unit and arranged at an angle of 90 degreesto the sections 5 and 6.

In order to maintain these sections in proper alignment, applicantprovides a supporting framework 9 having depending arms 11, 12, 13 and14. It is of course obvious that continuing tracks are secured to theends of the sections 5, 6, 7 and 8.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that applicant has secured tosection 5 an ofliset bracket 16 which has pivoted thereto a lever 17which lever in turn is secured to a switch section 18 through the mediumof a bracket 19. A similar switch section 21 is secured through themedium of a bracket 22 to a lever 23 pivoted to the section 6 by abracket 24.

In order to actuate each of these sections 18 and 21 applicant providesa cross-rod 26 pivoted to the support 9 as at 27 and 28, which rod haslevers 29 and 31 secured thereto whereby pull rods 32 and 33 extendbetween the levers 29 and 17 respectively, and the levers 31 and 23respectively.

Similar switch sections 34 and 36 are pivotally secured to the railsections 7 and 8 and are in turn actuated by pull rods 37 and 38 in thesame manner as that described for the switch sections 18 and 21.

The cross rod 39 similar to the cross rod 26 has levers 41 and 42 whichare connected to the pull rods 37 and 38. The cross rod 26 has a finger43 extending therefrom and adapted to engage a finger 44 connected tothe cross rod 39.

The result of this construction is that when the parts are in theposition shown in Fig. 2, a wheeled carrier may proceed in eitherdirection over the track sections 7 and 8 and switch sections 34 or 36,thus passing from one rail section to the other.

When a wheeled carrier is moving, as for instance on the section 5, itwill engage the switch section 18, moving it in a downward direction tothe position shown in Fig. 3 and in so doing pull on the pull rod 32will cause the lever 29 to rotate the rod 26, thus lowering the switchsection 21, and at the same time the finger 43 will press upon thefinger 44, thus rotating the rod 39, actuating the levers 41 and 42,pull rods 37 and 38 and thus pivoted the switch sections 34 and 36upwardly and into the position as shown in Fig. 3.

The wheeled carrier may be moved across the switch sections 18 and 21 onto the track section 6 and proceed upon its way. It will be noted inFig. 2 that applicant has shown at 46 a stop, one of which is attachedto each of the depending arms and will limit the upward movement of eachof the pivoted switch portions.

It is apparent that no matter which direction the carrier moves, it willengage which ever switch sections are open, thus closing the gap betweenone rail section and the next rail section in alignment therewith andthus allowing for transit and preventing any possibility of the carrierfalling off and spilling its load. The switch unit is supported by beingbolted or otherwise fastened to the end of the main tracks to which theunit is attached.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

It will 'be seen that my invention will accomplish all of the objectsabove set forth.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A cross-over switch for suspended tracks and comprising a unit having asubstantially rectangular supporting frame, depending arms carried bysaid frame, track sections securedto the lower ends of each of saidarms, two of said track sections being in end to end alignment, theother of said track sections being in end to end alignment and angularlyspaced with relation to said first mentioned aligned track sections, allof said track sections lying in the same horizontal plane, a switchsection pivoted to each of said track sections whereby the loweringdownwardly pivotal action of a set of two switch sections on alignedtrack sections will form a continuous track for a carrier, and linkageconnecting all of said switch sections, said linkage comprising a pairof pivoted cross-bars carried by said frame, a finger carried by each ofsaid cross-bars and adapted to engage each other and a pull rodpivotally connected to each switch section and to a lever formed on saidcross-bars whereby the moving to close one set of switch members willactuate said crossbars to effect an opening of the other set of switchsections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,535,541 LeFiell Dec. 26, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,713 Great Britain Nov.23, 1901

